Fastener for letter-files.



J. c. HU B, JR. I FASTENER FOR LETTER FILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1909.

1, 1 38,872. Patented May 11, 1915.

dunno.- HUB, an, or crinvnrinarn' onro.

. FASTENER FOR LETTER-FILES.

T6 all it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN C. HUB, Jr., a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, andState of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement Fasteners forLetter-Files, of which the following is a specification, the principleof the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which Ihave contemplated applying that principle, so as.

to distinguish it from other inventions.

My mvention relates in general to paper fasteners, and in particular tofasteners designed to attach a file of papers to any suitable backing.The common forms of fasteners which may be utilized for this purpose,possess the serious fault that .a

single prong. or a single pair ofprongs serves both to secure the papersto each other and to the backing; consequently if the prong be opened-sothat a paper may be removed, it often accidentally happens that thefastener is loosened from all of the papers and the backing, and muchtime is consumed in rearrangingthe papers.

My improved device is adapted to entirely obviate this fault, and at thesame time it is a device which lends itself to extremely simple andeconomic methods of manufacture.-

To the accomplishment of these and related ends said invention, then,consists of the means hereinafter fully described andmy device; Fig. 2is a perspective view of the device, and Fig. 3 is a broken plan of astrip from which the device 1s manufac tured.

The device comprises a'sheet metal strip or body 1 of any suitable size.During manufacture of the device a plurality of bodies 1 may be stampedfrom a single continuous strip, as is illustrated in Fig. 3.

During the sameoperation which stamps the several bodies from acontinuous strip,

each body is stamped so asto cut therein the two strips or prongs 2 atthe ends'of the body, and the two strips or prongs 3 in Specification ofLetters Patent.

terme'diate of the ends 'of"thebt' dy. These prongs, however, remainintegral with the Patented May11, 1915. Application fiiea; December so,1909. serial irqrs'esxoe,

prongs arebent upward at right angles to the body and all four prongsare inserted through the backing, the intermediate prongs are then bentdown and serve to securely attach the fastener to the backing. Anydesired papers may then be attached to the backing by pressing them onthe prongs at, the end of the body, and then turning such prongsdownward.

Fig. 1 illustrates my fastener associated with theordinary verticalletter file, and it is,contemplated that such letter files may 4 beformed with holes adapted to receive the prongs of the fastener so thatthe complete file will be not only more secure, so far as its fasteningsare concerned, but will be neater in appearance.

Supposing my fastener to be secured to a vertical letter file, or otherbacking, and to have filed thereon a plurality of letters or otherpapers, if it is desired to withdraw a given paper from the file, theend prongs are first turned upward. The necessary papers may then bewithdrawn from the fastener, but during this operation, the fastener isstill securely attached to the back ing by the intermediate prongs;consequently the papers in the file, which lie below the papers to bewithdrawn, will not be disturbed and-the fastener cannot be accidentallywithdrawn so that such paper will become detached from the file.

It is finally to be notedthat any number of fasteners may be stampedfrom a continuous strip so that they may be manufactured at a triflingcost, and by a simple operation.

Other modes'of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of. the one explained, change being made as regards themechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by the followingclaim or the equivalent ofsuch stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my inventionA device of the character described, comprising a substantiallyrectangular sheet metal body having two long strips stamped therefrom,each of said strips remaining attached tosaid body at one end andextending from the points of attachment tomay be bent'up to engageindividual sheets ward the center of the body, said strips to be filed.10 being alined but spaced from each other; Signed by me this 28th dayof December, and two relatively short strips stamped 1909.

from said body between the adjacent ends "JOHN C. HUB, JR. of said longstrips, whereby such short Attested bystrips may be bent up to securelyengage a ANNA L. GILL, the backing of a file and, said long strips JNo.F. OBERLm.

